1:15 pm PST, Feb. 7, 2005 I am writing this from the Marriott Courtyard hotel here in Bellevue, WA. It’s probably the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in, and it has decent high-speed internet service. I left my apartment in Chicago at 4:15 CST, and the flights (I was routed through Denver on Frontier) went pretty well. I only had 30 minutes between flights in Denver so I was a little worried that I wouldn’t make it, but I ended up having plenty of time.

Picking up the rental car and checking into the hotel was a breeze. It was nice to hear, “Well, Microsoft has taken care of everything already, Mr. Butler. Enjoy your stay,” as they handed me the paperwork. I could get used to this. :-)

I went out and grabbed some lunch, and I plan on driving out to Building 19, where my interview is, later on this afternoon. I am trying to figure out if it’s worth trying to go downtown and do something, but I might just take a nap. We’ll see. I also have to go over my interview notes again. Anyway, more later.

** 12:06 am CST, Feb. 11, 2005** Well, I intended to write more, and I still do, but I have been getting quite a few questions about my status, especially since I promised to put stuff here, so here goes. I did receive an offer from Microsoft, which I am currently considering. More info will be coming, especially about the interview itself and how it went/what I did, but for now: I do have an offer. :-)

3:43 pm CST, Feb. 14, 2005 I have officially accepted Microsoft’s offer, and am aiming for a start date of March 28th. I suppose it seems kind of fast, but there are benefits to getting out there soon. Dr. Sun has accepted the news more gracefully than I had anticipated, so things are looking up. I will be posting my overview of the interview day itself in a few minutes.